Process for shaping and printing cardboard blanks for the manufacture of boxes and machine for the working of said process



Get. 18, 1938.

H. INTING CA PROCESS FOR SHAPING AND PR RDBOARD BLANKS FOR THE MA OFBOXES AND MACHINE FOR THE WORKING OF SAID PROCESS Filed NOV. 5, 1936'I'NVENTOR' HENRI B 056T BY%,%Z

ATTORNEYJ Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PROCESS FOR SHAPING ANDPRINTING CARDBOARD BLANKS FOR THE MANU- FACTURE OF BOXES AND MACHINE FORTHE WORKING OF SAID PROCESS Henri Bobst, Lausanne, SwitzerlandApplication November 5, 1936, Serial No. 109,266 In Switzerland November6, 1935 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a process for shaping and printing cardboardblanks intended for the manufacture of boxes, said process beingcharacterized by the fact that, as the shaping operation is effectedfrom a reserve of cardboard forming a continuous band, the blanks are sopresented to the printing device as to be gripped by their joiningfolds.

This invention also relates to a machine for Working said process andcomprising for this purpose, means for shaping the cardboard blanksissuing from a reserve of cardboard forming a continuous band, saidshaping means being so arranged that the instrumentalities, forintroducing the blank which has been shaped into the printing device,grip said blank by means of its joining fold by means of which saidblank is maintained during the whole printing operation.

The drawing represents an embodiment of said machine, given by way ofexample.

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view.

Figs. 2 and 3 represent two cardboard blanks finished but not yetprinted.

From the reserve reel I, the band 2 is led by means of the cylinders 3and 4 to the printing device consisting in a rotary printing device 5for printing sheets. Between the cylinders 3 and 4, at 6, are locateddiiferent shaping means not shown.

At 1 is located an oscillating gripper intended to grip the cardboardblanks, and then to pass them to the printing cylinder 8, itselfprovided with other grippers 9, III, II.

The cardboard blanks, which could be laid on by any process are herelaid on by the fact that the band 2 advances gradually to an extentequal to the length of the blank, and in such a manner that the end ofthe band always comes and lodges right in the oscillating gripper 7. Thegripper then maintains the end of the band in place, while a cuttingmember I2 severs the blank from the band. The oscillating gripper 1 thenpasses the blank, severed from the band, to one of the grippers 9, illor II of the printing cylinder, the rotation of which causes theprinting of said blank, which then comes and lodges on the pile Hi.

In the existing machines for shaping and printing cardboard blanksintended for the manufacture of boxes, said blanks advance and are ledthrough printing members in the direction of the arrows A of Figs. 2 and3. In the machine represented said advance must be effected in thedirection of the arrows B, in order that the joining folds l5, l6respectively of the cardboard blanks precede said blanks and in orderthat the grippers, or other means according to the mode of feedingadopted, may fulfil the condition, that of gripping said cardboardblanks by means of the joining folds.

Due to this fact, the non-printed part covered over by the feeding meansand that part of the printing which is not clear and which always occurshere in this kind of printing, are to be found on the joining fold,itself hidden when the box is assembled, as the joining folds then comeand lodge at l5, l6 respectively, under a part which has been correctlyprinted.

The feeding of the cardboard blank preceded by the joining fold throughthe printing device can either be effected according to the examplegiven in Fig. 1, by so cutting out the blanks that the joining fold isalways to be found at the end of the. band, or With a shaping resultingin a lateral disposition of the joining fold, in which case the passageinto the printing press is effected in a direction perpendicular to theadvancing direction of the band.

What I claim is:

1. Process for shaping and imprinting blanks intended for themanufacture of boxes, consisting in shaping blanks fed from a continuousstrip of material, gripping the free end of the shaped strip by itsassembly flaps in the direction of the feed line, cutting the blank andfeeding same to a printing device and imprinting one face of said blankwhile the latter is securely held in said gripping relationship.

2. In a machine for shaping and imprinting blanks for the manufacture ofboxes in combination with a printing device, initial cutting and shapingmeans for shaping and cutting the main profile of the blanks in a strip,gripping means holding the shaped strip by its assembly flaps in thedirection of the feed line, cutting means, and grippers provided uponthe printing device, said grippers receiving and securely holding theshaped blank in said gripping relationship and said cutting meansreleasing said shaped blank from said strip while said shaping meansshape a new profiled blank in the strip.

3. In a machine for shaping and imprinting blanks for the manufacture ofboxes in combination with a printing device, initial cutting and shapingmeans for shaping and cutting the main profile of the blanks in a strip,oscillating gripping means. holding the shaped strip by its sealing fiapin the direction of the feed line, cutting means, and grippers providedupon the printing device, said grippers receiving and securely holdingthe shape blank in said gripping relationship and said cutting meansreleasing said shaped blank from said strip while said shaping meansshape a new profiled blank in the strip.

HENRI BOBST.

